Order of Khilafat

Hazrat Samurah bin Jundub narrates that a man said, “O Messenger (sa) of Allah! I saw a bucket hanging from the sky. Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) came, held both ends of its wooden handle and drank a little from it. Next came Hazrat Umar (ra) who held both ends of its wooden handle and drank from it to his fill. Next came Hazrat Uthman (ra) who caught hold of both ends of its handle and drank of it to his fill. Next came Hazrat Ali (ra). He held both ends of its handle, but it sprayed out and some water from it fell on him.”

(Sunan Abi Dawud, Kitab al-Sunnah, Bab fi al-Khulafa, Hadith 2637)

This was also an indication of the order of Khilafat. Hazrat Ali’s (ra) era of Khilafat was one of disorder and turmoil. There was an indication to this in that he was not able to drink from it properly.